Hours after President Donald Trump asked if the three UCLA basketball players released from Chinese custody would thank him for looking into their case, he got his thank you.On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!,"LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill all apologized for their actions in front of reporters at the UCLA campus Wednesday and Trump for his efforts in helping to get them back home. "What I did was stupid. There's no other way to put it," Hill said in prepared remarks. "I would like to start off by saying sorry for stealing from the stores of China. I didn't exercise my best judgment and I was wrong for that," Ball said.Coach Steve Alford also announced the trio had been "suspended indefinitely" from the school's basketball program. "They will not travel with the team, nor will they suit up for home games," Alford said. Ball, Riley and Hill were arrested in the Chinese city of Hangzhou last week. The trio had been accused of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store near their hotel.UCLA was in China ahead of their season opener against Georgia Tech in Shanghai. The game was the culmination of a week-long cultural and sports exchange involving the student athletes. After the arrest, UCLA told the freshmen to stay at their hotel while they awaited the next steps in their case. Their teammates went to Shanghai, where UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 63-60 on Saturday. They stayed in China as their team returned to the United States over the weekend.The players' arrest coincided with Trump's state visit to China, a two day stop in his 12 day trip to Asia. At the time, Trump said his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping was helpful in resolving the case. On Tuesday, Larry Scott, commissioner of the Pacific-12 athletic conference issued a statement that thanked the president for his efforts. "We want to thank the President, the White House and the US State Department for their efforts towards resolution," Scott said. Before the players' release, LiAngelo Ball's father, LaVar, had said in a statement on social media that the Chinese judicial process could take months.CNN contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES —

Hours after President Donald Trump asked if the three UCLA basketball players released from Chinese custody would thank him for looking into their case, he got his thank you.

On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!,"

LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill all apologized for their actions in front of reporters at the UCLA campus Wednesday and Trump for his efforts in helping to get them back home.

"What I did was stupid. There's no other way to put it," Hill said in prepared remarks.

"I would like to start off by saying sorry for stealing from the stores of China. I didn't exercise my best judgment and I was wrong for that," Ball said.

Coach Steve Alford also announced the trio had been "suspended indefinitely" from the school's basketball program.

"They will not travel with the team, nor will they suit up for home games," Alford said.

UCLA was in China ahead of their season opener against Georgia Tech in Shanghai. The game was the culmination of a week-long cultural and sports exchange involving the student athletes.

After the arrest, UCLA told the freshmen to stay at their hotel while they awaited the next steps in their case. Their teammates went to Shanghai, where UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 63-60 on Saturday. They stayed in China as their team returned to the United States over the weekend.

The players' arrest coincided with Trump's state visit to China, a two day stop in his 12 day trip to Asia. At the time, Trump said his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping was helpful in resolving the case.

On Tuesday, Larry Scott, commissioner of the Pacific-12 athletic conference issued a statement that thanked the president for his efforts.

"We want to thank the President, the White House and the US State Department for their efforts towards resolution," Scott said.

Before the players' release, LiAngelo Ball's father, LaVar, had said in a statement on social media that the Chinese judicial process could take months.